This disclosure relates generally to methods and systems for determining compatibility of components usable together in a set of components. More particularly, it relates to methods and systems for determining whether at least a first component and at least a second component, which may be components of a PPE article are compatible so as to be assembled into an approved configuration in response to being compared against at least one predetermined criterion regarding approved PP configurations.
Maintaining the safety and health of workers is a major concern across many industries. Various rules and regulations have been developed to aid in addressing this concern, which provide sets of requirements to ensure proper administration of personnel health and safety procedures. To help in maintaining worker safety and health, some individuals may be required to don, wear, carry, or otherwise use a PPE article, if the individuals enter or remain in work environments that have hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions.
Known types of PPE articles include, without limitation, respiratory protection equipment (RPE), e.g., for normal condition use or emergency response; protective eyewear, such as visors, goggles, filters or shields; protective headwear, such as hard hats, hoods or helmets; hearing protection devices; protective shoes; protective gloves; other protective clothing, such as coveralls and aprons; protective articles, such as sensors, safety tools, detectors, global positioning devices, mining cap lamps and any other suitable gear.
There are many different kinds of RPE's utilized to prevent or reduce inhalations of contaminants, such as hazardous or toxic materials. Exemplary ones include without limitation: disposable filtering face piece respirators, half mask respirator with filters, full facemask respirators with filters, powered respirators with helmet or hood, and power assisted respirators with full facemask. RPE articles often comprise an assemblage of components that are to be assembled together into a configuration. For example, RPE articles include, without limitation, components, for example, air-purifying filters, cartridges, canisters or filters that remove specific air contaminants by passing ambient air through their air-purifying element. Other types of personal protection components usable with certain RPE's include, without limitation, suitable batteries, and specific kinds of breathing hoses.
Proper use of PPE's often comprises assembling compatible articles and components therefor into an approved PP configuration intended to be suitable for the risks involved in the workplace. This includes determining ahead of actual use, the risks arising from the workplace in order to assist in determining an appropriate configuration. For example, proper use of such RPE's is contingent upon their being assembled into an approved PP configuration with other components, such as breathing tubes, filtering components, and batteries. The approved PP configurations must satisfy predetermined criteria (e.g., rules, guidelines, regulations, certifications, etc.) regarding their compatibility relating to intended performance and use. The predetermined criteria may be promulgated from many different sources, including business and/or governmental sources. With more than 500,000 air contaminants encountered in certain work environments, there are numerous rules and regulations to follow and gather information about. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the process of determining whether the components and articles are compatible for forming an approved PP configuration can be quite demanding and at times quite onerous. Accordingly, companies using PPE articles have the responsibility of ensuring that workers use approved PP configurations. If not, potentially serious and/or costly consequences may rise.
The distribution of such articles and their components must be performed in compliance with the appropriate rules, guidelines, regulations, and certifications. Presently, government agencies or companies with large numbers of workers and with a variety of working environments generally have dedicated and highly knowledgeable personnel for the distribution of such articles and components to workers to insure that the appropriate components and articles are assembled together in a compatible manner to satisfy the noted rules and regulations. In addition, not only must the distribution be performed in accordance with rigorous standards, there is a likelihood that the rules, regulations, etc. may themselves change, thereby placing additional burdens on those charged with the responsibility of distributing them in an approved manner.
Moreover, predetermined criteria regarding proper and safe use of PP articles are often predicated upon assumed work environment conditions, such as the kinds and concentrations of particulate in the workplace, prevailing during actual use. However, the original selected configurations of components and articles based on an initial risk assessment may be in need of revision because of additional risks being present during actual use. For example, some half mask respirators with filters are unsuitable for certain contaminant vapors and may require additional components or additional PPE's (e.g., goggles) depending on a variety of factors. Therefore, updating selections based on updated risk assessments places additional administrative burdens on the administrators. Moreover, it would be of substantial value to determine at which location(s) the assumptions have changed, thereby allowing corrections to be made to the environment or the configurations.
Thus, needs exist for improved methods and systems that overcome or eliminate the drawbacks and shortcomings of known approaches for determining whether components forming PP articles are configured to be compatible, from the standpoint of satisfying at least a predetermined criterion relating to approved PP configurations.